Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    No regular COVID tests for UCI hospital nurses, not enough space for both staff and patients

    California surpassed a million COVID-19 cases this week. KCRW talks to a frontline nurse in Irvine who says her hospital is running out of space as they receive a daily influx of coronavirus patients.

    • rss
    • apple-podcasts
    • spotify
    • Share
    By Madeleine Brand • Nov 13, 2020 • 49m Listen

    California surpassed a million COVID-19 cases this week. KCRW talks to a frontline nurse in Irvine who says her hospital is running out of space as they receive a daily influx of coronavirus patients.

    “When you see what's happening in the emergency department, for instance, and there's patients lined up in the hallway and there’s patients outside. There's clearly not enough staff for that,” says Nilu Patel.

    She says nurses don’t regularly get tested for COVID-19 at the hospital, and instead they get tested randomly or on their own time. “Nurses are burnt out. Nurses are getting sick themselves.”

    In this episode

    5 stories
    1. 0:00

      Overworked and vulnerable nurses, more patients, inadequate space: UCI hospital during COVID surge

      Nilu Patel says COVID-19 cases at her hospital have been increasing daily over the past month and staff are required to get flu vaccinations, but she’s still concerned about what will happen in the coming days.

      Read the story
      9 min
    2. 8:56

      State officials say you shouldn’t travel for the holidays, but Hawaii makes it easier to visit

      This morning California issued a travel advisory, discouraging nonessential travel and asking residents to stay home — or in the region at the very least.

      Read the story
      7 min
    3. 15:55

      Trump installs loyalists at the Pentagon and may be preparing for a rushed exit from Afghanistan

      Donald Trump has been mostly out of the public eye since the presidential race was called for Joe Biden last weekend. He’s been holed up in the White House, rage-tweeting unsubstantiated claims of election fraud.

      Read the story
      9 min
    4. 24:43

      Gender politics make ‘Freaky’ cool and subversive, says critic

      Critics review “Freaky,” a horror/comedy about a serial killer who swaps bodies with a teenage girl; “Ammonite,” a romance drama about a paleontologist who sells common fossils to tourists, then gets a life-changing job as a caretaker; “The Climb,”…

      Read the story
      14 min
    5. 39:08

      Thanksgiving to-go, from smoked turkey to Chinese roasted duck

      More restaurants will offer to-go meals this Thanksgiving than ever before.

      Read the story
      10 min
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sarah Sweeney

      Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Michell Eloy

      Former Producer/Line Editor, Press Play

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Amy Ta

      Digital News & Culture Editor

      NewsCoronavirusHealth & WellnessNational

    In this episode

    5 stories
    1. 0:009 min

      Overworked and vulnerable nurses, more patients, inadequate space: UCI hospital during COVID surge

    2. 8:567 min

      State officials say you shouldn’t travel for the holidays, but Hawaii makes it easier to visit

    3. 15:559 min

      Trump installs loyalists at the Pentagon and may be preparing for a rushed exit from Afghanistan

    4. 24:4314 min

      Gender politics make ‘Freaky’ cool and subversive, says critic

    5. 39:0810 min

      Thanksgiving to-go, from smoked turkey to Chinese roasted duck

    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand